1959 Jensen 541R Completion
March 11, 2021
Our lovely silver 1959 Jensen 541R has been completed and is leaving the workshop today. Although that’s one less Jensen in our workshop, we have
jensen specialists
Grey Jensen Snag List
March 10, 2021
Our 1957 Jensen 541 R(S) is currently being worked through its snag list, which is essentially a list compiled of areas that need to be
Peony Red Jensen Progression: Trim, Engine And Steering
March 10, 2021
Brian has been working on the door cappings for our 1960 Peony Red Jensen 541S. He began by fitting metal brackets to the rear door
Silver Jensen Gets New Straps And Springs
March 10, 2021
We’ve been working on securing the 1959 Jensen 541R’s rear axle frame. New rear axle straps have been manufactured by hand in the workshop and
More Jensens?!
March 3, 2021
It shouldn’t be news to our readers that we’re a bit mad about Jensen’s here…With a total of 8 Jensen’s in recently, and about 6
Corvette Jensen’s Last Tweaks
March 3, 2021
We’ve entered the finishing stages for our 1957 Jensen 541R. John is currently carrying out a thorough wiring check as we’ve had to modify the
Peony Red Project Continues
March 3, 2021
The bonnet, boot and internal components have been painted for our 1960 Jensen 541S. The parts sat in primer and a base coat before having
Twenty Twenty: The Year Of The Jensen
March 1, 2021
Some of you may remember we mentioned our busy Jensen workshop last year, and it hasn’t slowed down in 2021. We’ve become the Jensen Specialists
Peony Jensen Heat Shield
February 25, 2021
One of our technicians, Pauls, has made and fit a heat shield for our 1960 Peony Red Jensen 541R. Paul has cut out, measured up
Successful Test Scores For Our Jensen
February 25, 2021
our 1960 Jensen 541R has had its rolling road test from Hangar 111. The test has come back incredibly positive. Often these rolling road tests
Behind The Scenes: The 1958 Jensen Photoshoot
February 25, 2021
On Monday, Mauro and Ellie took the lorry and our 1958 Jensen 541R over to Glevering Mill to shoot it for our website. This stunning
Silver Jensen Wiring Issues Diagnosed
February 25, 2021
Pictured below is the Silver 1959 Jensen 541R recent wiring ammends. John had found that when wiring up, the overdrive didn’t engage. After an investigation,
Peony Red Mechanics Underway
February 17, 2021
The Peony Red Jensen, now finished in paint, has been moved into the workshop to begin its mechanical journey. Our technician Paul is currently fitting
Silver Wirings
February 17, 2021
Tom has been working hard to finish the wiring looms on our silver 1959 541R Jensen. He’s linked the main loom to the dash loom
Peony Red Paint Prep
February 15, 2021
Our 1960 541S Jensen has been continuing its paint process with the bonnet and wings being masked, prepped and primed and the undersides painted black.
Update on Gordan’s Jensen
February 15, 2021
As some may know, Gordon has a 1960 541R Jensen that’s being restored with us. Much like the Peony Red Jensen, this full restoration has
1959 Jensen Re-Wiring Continues
February 12, 2021
Tom has been concentrating on re-wiring all the wiring looms in our 1959 Jensen 541R. Currently he is working on the rear and middle looms,
The Oldest Jensen’s Door fix
February 12, 2021
Our oldest Jensen, the 1957 541R has had some issues with its left side front passenger door. We’ve been working to modify it to allow
Thermo-stuck
February 12, 2021
Our 1961 541S Jensen was having issues with over-heating, but luckily, our classic car technician Paul, put his mind to investigating the issue. He found
Peony Red Jensen Painted And Ready
February 11, 2021
We’re delighted to announce that after being smoothed and polished, our beautiful Peony Red Jensen has entered the trim shop. Chris spent yesterday smoothing and
Black Jensen 541R Final Touches
February 10, 2021
We’ve recently re-fitted and lowered the side lights as pictured below. This was a cosmetic change that the customer requested. The pulley mechanism for the
Car and Classic Feature Jensen 541’s
February 8, 2021
As Jensen specialists, we love seeing Jensens of all kinds represented and discussed online, but our particular favourites, the 541 series are rarely talked about.
The Peony Red Grows
February 8, 2021
Chris has been working on some of the exterior panels for our Peony Red Jensen. Although the body can be painted in one go, the
Silver Jensen’s New Wiring
February 8, 2021
Tom has been working on re-wiring the wiring looms in the 1959 Jensen 541R. He’s recently completed the lights and has now started on the
The Jensen’s New Handbrake
February 5, 2021
A new handbrake cable has been fitted to the 1961 Jensen 541S by our classic car technician Paul who has handled the re-build and re-fitting
Our Peony Red Jensen Has Blossomed
February 4, 2021
Yesterday afternoon was the moment we’ve all be waiting for. The first drop of Peony Red paint has been applied to our 1960 541S Jensen.
The Peony Red Jensen Is Almost Peony Red
February 3, 2021
Step by step, our Peony red 1960 541S Jensen gets closer to actually being Peony Red. We’ve been referring to it with its colour but
Black Jensen’s Snag List
February 2, 2021
We’ve created a simple video walk around for our client to see his almost finished Jensen. As he lives in Germany it means that it
Building Suspension…
February 2, 2021
The front suspension has been finished and fitted back in. The brakes have also been bled. Tom has been working on rewiring the rear lights,
Final Bits Before Paint On The Jensen
January 29, 2021
Our Peony Red Jensen is getting closer to actually be Peony Red. This classic Jensen has been sat in parts for a while as we
1959 Jensen 541R Completion
March 11, 2021
Our lovely silver 1959 Jensen 541R has been completed and is leaving the workshop today. Although that’s one less Jensen in our workshop, we have plenty more still to be worked on.
Grey Jensen Snag List
March 10, 2021
Our 1957 Jensen 541 R(S) is currently being worked through its snag list, which is essentially a list compiled of areas that need to be checked and tweaked before its finished.
John is going through all the electrics to check that everything is live and works, and modifying wiring as he goes. He is also readjusting the bonnet lift lever as traditionally it would sit a little too close to the throttle peddle.
Kath is modifying the boot lid trim as the rubber and material is causing some irritation against the metal sills. Kath is currently taking the material off the metal to modify.
Scott is altering the bonnet pin so that the screw fits in tighter as the hole is currently slightly too small as the screw is getting caught mid way.
Due to the V8 Corvette engine that was fitted in Boston in the 1960’s, the owner of this Jensen has decided to have his own personalised model tag fitted to this Jensen that describes it as a 541 R S as it has features of both models.
Peony Red Jensen Progression: Trim, Engine And Steering
March 10, 2021
Brian has been working on the door cappings for our 1960 Peony Red Jensen 541S. He began by fitting metal brackets to the rear door capping and then glueing in the wadding. Brian then glued the leather cover to the door capping and turned the leather over onto the back to neaten up the corners and pull taught the material.
Paul and Ady have recently fit the engine into the Jensen which is arguably one of the key milestones in a restoration. With this now in place, engine refurbishments and adjustments can be made to ensure its up and running.
The assisted power steering pump has also been prepared and fitted into our Jensen.
Silver Jensen Gets New Straps And Springs
March 10, 2021
We’ve been working on securing the 1959 Jensen 541R’s rear axle frame. New rear axle straps have been manufactured by hand in the workshop and bolted in place to avoid unwarranted pressure being applied to the shock absorbers. This also ensures that the rear axle doesn’t move. Our Jensen didn’t originally have these so we’ve had to remove the exhaust lines to fit the straps.
The new front suspension springs have turned out to be too long so we’ve resorted to fitting the old ones back in be recomissioning them by painting and sandblasting them so theyre back to working order.
We’ve also discovered a hole in the front axle which has been welded and fixed before this classic Jensen swiftly leaves us this week.
More Jensens?!
March 3, 2021
It shouldn’t be news to our readers that we’re a bit mad about Jensen’s here…With a total of 8 Jensen’s in recently, and about 6 of them still being with us, Gordon and Craig thought that we may as well get some more in, so that’s exactly what we’ve done! On their way back from Newcastle, Craig and Gordon rescued these two vehicles from a barn in Cumbria. There’s nothing more exciting in the restoration world than a good barn find.
You’d be forgiven for getting confused about it being a collection of ‘two’ Jensen’s, but we assure you, there are definitely two cars there! One is a slightly dusty shell and the other resembles more of a box of parts, but once fitted all together, it’ll make two stunning classic early Jensen 541’s! We’ve got a large majority of the components however there’s still a lot we’ll need to fabricate ourselves.
Although the final plan of action for these restorations is undecided, we’re fairly certain we’ll market these two projects for sale, with the aim for it to be bought and subsequently restored in-house. These Jensens are likely to be much like the Peony red Jensen that also arrived with us in a less desirable state and was later bought by a client to be restored in house.
If you’re in search of a Jensen, we have multiple options for you. We have our early 1958 Jensen 541R up for sale, which comes in working condition, ready to drive. Or if you fancy more of a bespoke project, we have a restoration project to be bought that was formerly Gordon’s and is lovingly referred to as our ‘lilac’ Jensen, as this was originally the colour chosen by our director Gordon. This is awaiting an ambitious new owner to continue the restoration. Likewise, we also have our recent Jensens 541 which will also be marketed as bespoke restorations for someone who fancies themselves not only an early Jensen but would also like a bespoke project built to their exact requirements.
Watch this space for more information coming soon!
Corvette Jensen’s Last Tweaks
March 3, 2021
We’ve entered the finishing stages for our 1957 Jensen 541R. John is currently carrying out a thorough wiring check as we’ve had to modify the wiring to compensate for the V8 Corvette engine. We’re assembling the last bits such as the fuel pump which we’re waiting to arrive before we carry out a last service and test for teething problems.
Peony Red Project Continues
March 3, 2021
The bonnet, boot and internal components have been painted for our 1960 Jensen 541S. The parts sat in primer and a base coat before having their iconic Peony Red paint applied. The internal parts and engine block have been painted black to keep them uniform with the rest of the internal elements.
Paul has been working on the mechanical elements for our Jensen, which has included fitting the rear section boot floor, new hand brake cables, and re-manufactured the bolts on the rear axle half shaft.
Ady has been working on refurbishing the engine by attaching a new rear seal conversion and replacing the bolts that hold it in and fitting a new cylinder head with new valves spring and valve guides. The engine has also been rebored to take new pistons, the crankshaft has been reground and new bearings fitted. A new timing chain, cam followers and gaskets have also been fitted.
Ady and Paul are have also been working on fitting the re-conditioned gear box to the engine.
We’ve also fitted the rear lights this week, ready to be wired in.
Twenty Twenty: The Year Of The Jensen
March 1, 2021
Some of you may remember we mentioned our busy Jensen workshop last year, and it hasn’t slowed down in 2021. We’ve become the Jensen Specialists of the UK with a constant set of Jensen 541R and 541S projects passing through our doors on a regular basis. With projects ranging from full nut and bolt restorations to small fixes and services, we’ve been inundated with Jensen’s, and we love it!
2020 saw 8 Jensen’s in at the same time, which led to this amazing shot of them all lined up. Our technicians are now well versed in Jensen mechanics, electrics and bodywork as we’ve still got 6 of them in the workshop plus another stored at Bentwaters waiting to find a new home.
With only 193 Jensen 541R’s ever made and 127 541S’s made, and even fewer still on the road, we’ve had a large quantity of them in the workshop.
Peony Jensen Heat Shield
February 25, 2021
One of our technicians, Pauls, has made and fit a heat shield for our 1960 Peony Red Jensen 541R. Paul has cut out, measured up and fitted the panels which are made up of Asbestolux.
Successful Test Scores For Our Jensen
February 25, 2021
our 1960 Jensen 541R has had its rolling road test from Hangar 111. The test has come back incredibly positive. Often these rolling road tests flag more issues however on this occasion its come back perfect, and we’re delighted!
Behind The Scenes: The 1958 Jensen Photoshoot
February 25, 2021
On Monday, Mauro and Ellie took the lorry and our 1958 Jensen 541R over to Glevering Mill to shoot it for our website. This stunning British classic is up for sale with us on our website, eBay, Car and Classic and Classic Car and Camper. In great condition, our Jensen is a stunning example of British engineering.
Monday turned from an overcast morning into rain and the shoot was halted early, however we were lucky enough to be able to come back the next day to continue to shoot. Denise and Allan, who live at Glevering Mill were enthusiastic and accommodating, working with us to help get the shoot done. Tuesday brought about blue skies and sunshine, making the paintwork really shine.
You can see this Jensen’s restoration story here.
Here’s some behind the scenes of Ellie shooting the Jensen on the sunnier second shoot.
The Jensen also happened to be one of the first cars transported in the lorry with its new designs that were applied over the weekend!
Silver Jensen Wiring Issues Diagnosed
February 25, 2021
Pictured below is the Silver 1959 Jensen 541R recent wiring ammends. John had found that when wiring up, the overdrive didn’t engage. After an investigation, John found it was because the solenoid had overheated and melted the terminals, meaning a new solenoid was fitted.
A new stoplight switch has also been fitted because the old stoplight had seized and wouldn’t turn off.
Peony Red Mechanics Underway
February 17, 2021
The Peony Red Jensen, now finished in paint, has been moved into the workshop to begin its mechanical journey.
Our technician Paul is currently fitting new brake lines as the original ones are worn out.
Silver Wirings
February 17, 2021
Tom has been working hard to finish the wiring looms on our silver 1959 541R Jensen. He’s linked the main loom to the dash loom and connected up the front loom.
Peony Red Paint Prep
February 15, 2021
Our 1960 541S Jensen has been continuing its paint process with the bonnet and wings being masked, prepped and primed and the undersides painted black.
Update on Gordan’s Jensen
February 15, 2021
As some may know, Gordon has a 1960 541R Jensen that’s being restored with us. Much like the Peony Red Jensen, this full restoration has been nicknamed as the ‘Lilac’ Jensen as Gordon aims for it to be done in a two toned Lilac finish, however that stage is a while off.
Chris has recently put the door frames into the paint bay to have epoxy primer added. With this step completed, it edges ever closer to becoming its namesake colour.
1959 Jensen Re-Wiring Continues
February 12, 2021
Tom has been concentrating on re-wiring all the wiring looms in our 1959 Jensen 541R. Currently he is working on the rear and middle looms, laying down fresh wires to link the two underneath.
The Oldest Jensen’s Door fix
February 12, 2021
Our oldest Jensen, the 1957 541R has had some issues with its left side front passenger door. We’ve been working to modify it to allow it to sit more comfortbly in line with the rest of the body. With the alignment sorted, we also needed to address the ill fitting door car before it could be dressed.
One of our engineers has worked on making the inside of the door frame deeper so that the door car could fit inside.
Thermo-stuck
February 12, 2021
Our 1961 541S Jensen was having issues with over-heating, but luckily, our classic car technician Paul, put his mind to investigating the issue. He found that the wax seal in the thermostat had gotten stuck. To address this he applied a freeing agent that was left overnight so that he could ‘un-stick’ the seal the next day.
The thermostat opens to allow the engine coolant to flow through when it heats up, allowing for the cyclical movement up to the radiator, down through the radiator and round to the thermostat again. With the wax-seal seized closed, hot coolant couldn’t run through the engine, meaning it was overheating.
The thermostat works by regulating the engine temperature. As coolant flows around the engine, it collects excess heat. On leaving the engine, it travels to the radiator, where that excess heat is removed. It then makes a few more stops along its way through the cooling system and finishes back in the engine.
Peony Red Jensen Painted And Ready
February 11, 2021
We’re delighted to announce that after being smoothed and polished, our beautiful Peony Red Jensen has entered the trim shop.
Chris spent yesterday smoothing and polishing the body so that the paint looks smooth and perfect. We’re loving the richness of the red contrasting with the soft grey roof.
This 1960 541S Jensen is now sat in our trim shop ready to start its interior restoration journey.
Black Jensen 541R Final Touches
February 10, 2021
We’ve recently re-fitted and lowered the side lights as pictured below. This was a cosmetic change that the customer requested.
The pulley mechanism for the dynamometer wasn’t running at the correct speed and therefore was not charging the battery. We sent the pulley away to be modified at Coltec. We’ve now received it back so they can be fitted. The pulley has been made smaller to allow it to spin faster and charge the dynamometer. We hope this will have solved the charging issue!
We’ve also modified the number plate plate upon the clients request. Originally the metal chrome frame that the number plate sat on was wider than the number plate, which is the original design, however our client decided he’d like the width to be shorter, therefore we modified it to his bespoke request.
Car and Classic Feature Jensen 541’s
February 8, 2021
As Jensen specialists, we love seeing Jensens of all kinds represented and discussed online, but our particular favourites, the 541 series are rarely talked about. Car and Classic have just featured an interesting in-depth article about the history of Jensen 541’s. You can read it here.
John Byrne, the author of the article delves deep into the inner workings of the iconic British car, its design and its mechanical feats of engineering.
John describes them as “Much underrated in recent times but fast becoming more appreciating classics, these exquisitely hand-made GT cars are a real gem coming from one of the most evocative British names in the realm of big, fast grand-tourers”
He continues to say, “In general, the 541 was well-regarded as an excellent long-range touring car, with ride and road holding comparable to the best contemporaries of the period. These cars are widely considered to be one of the best-looking coupes of the fifties and are unmistakable in profile.“
We’ve worked on an extensive list of Jensens from 541R’s and 541S’s to Inceptors. You can check them out here:
The Peony Red Grows
February 8, 2021
Chris has been working on some of the exterior panels for our Peony Red Jensen. Although the body can be painted in one go, the exterior panels and doors need to be done separately to ensure the paint can get into all the details.
Here Chris is painting the wings with the Peony Red and a clear coat. The wheels have also been primed and painted.
Silver Jensen’s New Wiring
February 8, 2021
Tom has been working on re-wiring the wiring looms in the 1959 Jensen 541R. He’s recently completed the lights and has now started on the dashboard.
There are 5 wiring looms in total. Two have been completed, two are partially completed (which are the two looms within the dashboard) and the last connects the front looms to the rear. Jensens are known for complex and sophisticated electrics, making the re-wiring a time consuming process.
The Jensen’s New Handbrake
February 5, 2021
A new handbrake cable has been fitted to the 1961 Jensen 541S by our classic car technician Paul who has handled the re-build and re-fitting of the handbrake.
The photos below show the hand brake cable after being removed by Paul and ready for repair.
Our Peony Red Jensen Has Blossomed
February 4, 2021
Yesterday afternoon was the moment we’ve all be waiting for. The first drop of Peony Red paint has been applied to our 1960 541S Jensen. For months we’ve been watching our skilled technicians work on rebuilding and reworking the body of this Jensen and finally its entered the paint shop.
This is a very exciting development in this restoration project as it’s now starting to resemble a classic car! With this fresh layer of paint on, our beautiful Peony Red Jensen is blossoming into the iconic classic it should be.
Chris has been focusing on preparing other exterior elements for paint. Here Chris is working on a front bumper shield.
Our specialist paint technician, Chris, has been dedicated to preparing, masking and painting our beloved Peony Red Jensen. He began by applying primer and guide coat to the bonnet, panels and body. He then rubbed the car down with 320 and 500 sandpaper grit ready for paint. Once the car was masked up, it was ready for paint. Car masked up for a ‘Verkehrsgrau’ grey roof and red bottom. Once the two tones had been applied, Chris could paint on the clear preservative coat.
The Peony Red Jensen Is Almost Peony Red
February 3, 2021
Step by step, our Peony red 1960 541S Jensen gets closer to actually being Peony Red. We’ve been referring to it with its colour but its been nothing more than various shades of white or metal for quite a while. Soon, we’ll be able to honestly call it Peony Red.
Chris has been applying the guide coat onto the body and smoothing down all the surfaces, ready for it to be masked and painted.
The Jensen is now sat in primer and once dried, will be painted the infamous Peony Red.
Black Jensen’s Snag List
February 2, 2021
We’ve created a simple video walk around for our client to see his almost finished Jensen. As he lives in Germany it means that it isn’t very easy for him to pop over and see his car. We thought it would be easiest to send this in-depth video so that he can see what’s been done, what’s left to do and if there are any adjustments he wants to be made.
Building Suspension…
February 2, 2021
The front suspension has been finished and fitted back in. The brakes have also been bled.
Tom has been working on rewiring the rear lights, indicators and front lights too.
Final Bits Before Paint On The Jensen
January 29, 2021
Our Peony Red Jensen is getting closer to actually be Peony Red. This classic Jensen has been sat in parts for a while as we work through the rust but is now on the final steps before it can be painted.
James has been working on creating a door spring mechanism that allows the window glass to sit safely inside the panel.
Below are some process photos of James preparing the door and fitting the elements. He’s been working on the left-hand door to remove old rust metal and tidy up repairs as well as fabricate new sections to weld in place.
Chris, our painter, has been preparing some of the individual elements for paint as the door wing and sill is now ready for primer. Several parts have been primed in a guide coat well as the wheels having been rubbed down ready for paint
